The story begins with Clement's inner monologue, the protagonist  through whose eyes we will be seeing the story unravel. It all starts on board a merchant ship in the vast ocean, as its wealthy passengers celebrate a special occasion. The mist is gone, and the first rays of sunlight fall on the sails. Congratulations are in order for the captain, for a safe voyage under an extended period of bad weather conditions. The mist is gone, revealing the sun and at the same time, the unannounced existence of a ship with loaded cannons. It approaches slowly from behind, like a predator sneaking on its prey. 

The next scene formally introduces another passenger of the merchant ship, Clement Beaumont, a Frenchman of aristocratic origin, playing cards with other upper-class gentlemen and horribly losing at them.

 Although Clement's quick-witted, gifted at eloquent speech and due to his upbringing, doesn't lack a refinement of manners, his disorderly charms and inability to control his emotions get the best of him and prevent him from truly blending in the society he was born into. He doesn't get back at his opponents head-on. His idea of revenge is backhanded and a dish best served cold, as seen in his seducing the daughter of one of his opponents. The only person aware of his deeper mischievous nature is his sister,  Ivette. As he shuts himself in her room in order to escape the rage of his latest conquest's father, Clement and his sister engage in a witty banter in which, Ivette uses words to stab her brother while he in turn gets slightly annoyed at the amount of truth contained in her snarky remarks. Their short quarrel is interrupted when a knock is heard on their door. To the surprise of both, instead of the insulted father being at the door ready to handle Clement in an ungentlemanly manner, his beautiful and much younger wife wants a word with him in turn. 

Sooner than later, the news of an emergency reach the captain. More annoyed than anxious, he grabs hold of a seeing-glass only to spot another ship on the horizon, at such close quarters that without the fog hiding it before, it could have been easily spotted with a blind eye. 

And a pirate ship no less. 

Without further delay, the Captain orders to man the canons.  He raises his glass one last time, trying to get a closer view of the enemy ship, only to find the coded message of a rather cheeky fellow: